Process and apparatus for generating a combustible gas from carbonaceous liquids.



No. 881,885. PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906. F. GOTTON. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A GOMBUSTIBLE GAS FROM GARBONAGEOUS LIQUIDS.

APPLIOATION I'ILBD AUG.18,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m'linesses 17104222 5; W Frank 0am No. 881,835. I PATENTED SEPT. 25, 1906.

RGOTTON. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A GOMBUSTIBLE GAS FROM GARBONAGEOUS LIQUIDS..

APPLICATION FILED AUG.18,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fra 71,33 Caiian THE NUREIS PETERS 00.. WASHINGTON, 04 c.

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK COTTON, OF HORN SBY, NEW SOUTH TALES, AUSTRALIA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A COMBUSTIBLE GAS FROM CARBONACEOUS LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1906.

Application filed August 18,1904. Serial No. 221,218.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Oo'rroN, a subj ect of the King of Great Britain, residing at Hornsby, in the State of New South Wales, in the Commonwealth of Australia, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Generating a Combustible Gas from Car bonaceous Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus by means of which carbonaceous liquids, such as the residuum of petroleum and other liquids of like nature, may be so treated that a highly-combustible gas is produced. The apparatus for this purpose consists of a pair of preferably cylindrical metal vessels connected together and communicating one with the other by means of a perforated pipe having therein a check-valve. These two vessels or chambers are insulated one from the other in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter described. The forward chamber is provided with an outlet-nozzle and the rear ward is in communication with an oil and steam supply.

In using the apparatus for generating gas oil and steam are introduced simultaneously into the rearward or receiving chamber of the apparatus in such relative quantities and in such a manner that the resulting mixture shall have as near as possible a temperature of 300 Fahrenheit. For this purpose the steam is superheated prior to being introduced into the chamber to such a degree as to give when mixed with the oil in the chamber the desired temperature. The superheating of the steam prior to being introduced into the apparatus has also the effect (and this is essential) of drying the steam, so that there may be no condensation within the chamber. The oil-supply is forced into the apparatus through a controllingvalve of any wellknown construction, such as that shown, by any suitable means, such as a force-pump. The steam and oil now thoroughly mixed and atomized in the rearward chamber of the apparatus passes through the freely-perforated end of the connecting-pipe which is within the said chamber and after passing the checkvalve is delivered into the forward chamber through a single aperture in the forward end of the connecting-pipe The forward chamber is now or has previously been raised to a temperature as near as possible to 800 Fahrenheit, but not exceeding this temperature. This rise of temperature after the, steam and oil have been thoroughly mixed and atomized under pressure, as before described, has the effect of converting the mixture into a gaseous state, so that a continuous stream of a highly-combustible gas is projected from the nozzle in the forward chamber, which may be termed a retort.

There are many ways by which the temperature of the retort may be raised to the desired degree; but in practice it will be found that the utilization of the reflected heat from the furnace in which the gas from the apparatus is being burned is'the simplest way. For this purpose the apparatus is placed on the dead plate or floor of conduit, with the retort projecting within the furnace and the escaping gas so directed as to play upon a brick pier or other suitable mass of non fusible material, which soon becomes incandescent and the reflected heat therefrom soon raises and maintains the retort at the desired temperature. Should the heat not be great enough for the purpose, the apparatus may be inserted farther within the furnace, or should it be too great the apparatus may be withdrawn slightly. By this means the temperature of the retort may be maintained at or near 800 Fahrenheit.

WVhen the apparatus is used in connection with steam-generating furnaces, the relative proportions of steam and oil which should. be introduced to give the best results are five parts, by weight, of steam to six parts, by weight, of oil but when the apparatus is used in other classes of furnaces where a very high temperature is required the relative proportion of steam to oil may be considerably increased with advantage.

Experiments carried out by me have proved that when the temperature of the furnace in which the gas from the apparatus is being burned has reached approximately 3,000 Fahrenheit the relative proportion of steam to oilintroduced into the apparatus may be increased to two parts, by weight, of steam to one part, by weight, of oil, with the result that the temperature of the furnace is increased.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a furnace having the gas-generating apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail View of a check-valve employed in connection with the apparatus, and-Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus.

A represents a steamgenerating furnace, and B the apparatus for generating the gas.

As shown in Fig. 3, a is the rearward chamber. b is the forward chamber or retort. c is the outletnozzle. c is an aperture therein. d is the connecting-pipe, closed at both ends, the portion within the chamber a being freely perforated, as shown, while the portion within the retort b is provided with a single aperture d. d is acheckvalve in pipe (I, placed midway its ends. 6 is insulating material, such as asbestos or the like, surrounding the middle portion of the pipe (1, which is without the chambers a and b. This insulation is provided for the purpose of preventing the high temperature of the retort from extending to the receivingchamber a. The check-valve d is provided for the purpose of preventing any back pressure in the event of the pressure in the retort exceeding that in the chamber a. f is a covering of sheet metal confining and protecting the insulating material e. h is an oilcontrolli'n inlet-valve. This valve may be of any 1 we l-known construction, but preferably of sure of steam therein.

the type shown-namely, a cone-valve. h is an oil-supply pipe communicatin with the force-pump or other appliance for forcing the oil within the chamber (1 against the pres- 7c is a steam-supply pipe from the generator. This pipe is provided with an intermediate superheater for the purpose 'herein'before mentioned. The superheating of the steam may be accomplished by a coil 10 in the smoke-box of the furnace, as shown in Fig. 1, or by any other suitable means. is is a small drip-tap pro vided for the purpose of ascertaining that the steam is sufficiently dry to be admitted into the chamber a. k is a steam-controlling valve. 7C is a steam-delivery pipe within the chamber a. This pipe has a single row of perforations alon its under side, as shown. 1 is the non-fusibTe material within the furnace, upon which the escaping gas from the retort is directed.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare'that what I claim is 1. An apparatus for generating a combustible gas, comprising a receiving-chamber, a retort spaced from the receiving-chamber and in line therewith, the retort having an outlet-nozzle at one end, heat-insulating material held in the space between the receiving-chamber and the retort, a perforated pipe'extending through-the insulating material and connecting the receiving-chamber and the retort, the said pipe being provided with a check-valve located between the retort This pipe is and the receiving-chamber, an oil-supply pipe communicating with the receivingchamber, an inlet-valve for controlling the supply of oil to .the chamber, and asteamsupply pipe extending into said chamber and provided with a valve for controlling the steam-supply.

2. In an apparatus for generating a combustible gas, a receiving-chamber, a retort in line with the receiving-chamber and spaced therefrom, the said retort being provided with an outlet, heat-insulating material located in the space between the retort and chamber, a covering connected with the retort and chamber and inclosing the insulating material, a valve-controlled pipe extending through the insulating material and connecting the retort and receiving-chamber, and means for supplying oil and steam, to the receivingchamber.

3. An apparatus for generating a combustible gas comprising a receiving-chamber, a retort spaced from the receiving-chamber and having an outlet-aperture, a perforated pipe provided with a check-valve and connecting the chamber and the retort, insulating material surrounding the connectingpipe between the chamber and the retort, a covering connected with the chamber and retort and confining and protecting the insulating material, a perforated steam-delivery pipe within the receiving-chamber, means for superheating the steam before it enters the receiving-chamber, and an oil-supply pipe communicating with the receivingchamber and provided with a controllingvalve.

4. The combination with a furnace, of an apparatus for generating combustible gas, the said apparatus comprising a receivingchamber, a retort projecting into the furnace and arranged in line with the receivingchamber and spaced therefrom, the said retort having an outlet-opening, a valve-controlled pipe connecting the retort and the re ceivingchamber, insulating material surrounding the connecting-pipe between the receiving-chamber and the retort, and held between the adjacent ends of said chamber and retort, means for supplying oil and steam to the receiving-chamber, and means for superheating the steam before it enters said receiving-chamber.

Signed at Hornsby, Australia, this 7th day of June, 1904.

FRANK COTTON.

Witnesses:

JAMES P. CHALMERS, THOMAS SULLIVAN. 

